Talking amongst myself is apparently what I do best. Yesterday, I was deeply engrossed in solving a problem on a project. The problem was resisting mightily. Suddenly, my assistant appeared at my office door and broke my trance by announcing she was closing the door because it seems that I was deeply engrossed in a quite contentious conversation with myself about said problem.
I did finally discover a quite clever solution, though! ;)
wv some naddies - Gotta have 'em to argue with yourself like I do!
Anonymous at 8:51 - Of course he had no firearms when he was arrested. He learned that, being under 21, he was not allowed to possess handguns; furthermore, he learned that possession of large capacity feeding devices is also illegal in MA so he shed those as well.
Everybody's standing there, pointing guns at the location of someone they firmly believe has guns and may be wired to explode. Things are tenser than any Hollywood Mexican standoff. Somebody either thinks he sees a threatening move or (worse) cranks off an ND, and everybody hears the shot, thinks "MY GOD THEY'RE SHOOTING!" and opens up.
(Sometimes referred to as "sympathy fire". Primates are troop animals; we imitate the behavior of the monkeys around us. Next time you're at the pistol range, start shooting really fast and listen to the tempo of the people shooting around you.)
And not to put to fine a point on it, but what's the downside of the cops shooting the guy to pieces, whether he's got a gun or not? It's not like they're going to be held accountable for stray rounds, accidental deaths or excessive force.
So much for the reports that he'd tried to kill himself by shooting himself in the throat then. It's getting to the point that I don't believe anything I hear on TV other than sports scores. Maybe I shouldn't believe those ...
About that Start Trek Movie, and Star Trek Movies in general. If the Fleet understood the concept of Marines, or Naval Infantry, the Capt of the ship and his officers could stay on the damn ship and let the proffesionals do the dirty work. The movies would be shorter, neater but probably less exciting. I know it is fiction...
Nope, the Captain is on the away teams so that *he* finds the mostly-sexually-compatible native girl. That's why he brings the doctor along, for the inevitable "alien cooties" he picks up, and Spock is there as a backstop in case the cooties are so bad it drops the humans and they need dragged to a clear spot for beaming back to the ship.
Did you see this assinine thermostat on PBS's (Propaganda Broadcast System) home-improvement show? It was called the “Nest”, and they’re rolling out a new program:
----------------- From: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2417997,00.asp but revolve around Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings programs. Rush Hour Rewards use the connected Nest Thermostat to help stagger energy usage for customers during peak usage times, skewing some earlier and some later -----------------
Well, it’s voluntary for now. See, they PROMISE it:
---------------- It's important to note that customers who participate will always have the option to manually override either program, should they find themselves too hot or cold. ----------------
And the government has never, ever broken a promise, has it?
Until the utilities “reach across the aisle” and form “partnerships” with governments in which they rent-seek to avoid having to build better infrastructure, more power lines, and more power plants. Then they’ll simply turn off your heat (in the winter) or A/C (in the summer) if you were stupid enough to trust them. You’ll either be shivering or sweating, depending on the caprice and whim of some un-elected bureaucrat.
And then, once it’s been demonstrated how “efficient” things are, those thermostats (those particular ones, if the company is as evil and dot-gov connected as they probably are, but a similar one if they fail to correctly bribe the right officials) will become mandated (probably via building codes), and you’ll no longer have a choice.
- Want to build a house? It’s got to have a government-controlled thermostat. - Want to sell your house? It’s got to have a government-controlled thermostat.
I wish I could believe that the people of this country would resist this kind of thing, but I’ve got too much bitter experience to believe that they will. Or maybe I just need to loosen the tin-foil hat.
Spock was the best wingman Kirk could ever have asked for.
My high-school sweetheart was more than just a touch nerdy. She was a Mensan, which ought to tell you all you need to know.
When I was away at Basic Training she'd send me steamy love letters written in Klingon. At least, she said they were steamy love letters - I can't make head-nor-tail of Klingon.
The breakup came as something of a relief - shortly after she graduated, she took up with a guy in Cleveland who was saving up his college scholarship money for a sex-change operation.
Our local paper has a Fudd that works there. One of his recent editorials repeats all of the Brady lies (since he uses them as his source). It's a pretty disgusting read. I can't comment there 'cause I don't do the facebook thing.
The Federation has Marines. They're just...secret...or something...
Maybe a Navy type can tell us...when a carrier (or back in the day, BB) makes port...and there is no Admiral on board...is it normal for the Captain to schmooze with the city fathers??? Might be a "slight" justification for the Captain of a starship going planetside in some situations.
All others...yeah, send in the Marines...or a bevy of Redshirts...
"Maybe a Navy type can tell us...when a carrier (or back in the day, BB) makes port...and there is no Admiral on board...is it normal for the Captain to schmooze with the city fathers??? Might be a "slight" justification for the Captain of a starship going planetside in some situations."
Wrong analogy.
Think detached warships in the 1700's visiting the fuzzie wuzzies to facilitate cultural relations and exchange pleasanteries.
e.g. Oh! Benighted Emir Bugger-all of this Hideous Hellhole, it is my cultural predisposition to sink, and then hang surviving pirates that I catch and then bombard and burn their ports to the ground with little finesse. Also, I have many marines who are grim and nasty and whose culture is one of pillage burn and kill. Do not mess with my nations ships, and err on the side of caution. Oh, by the way, those hostages (ahem, GUESTS), you have 4 hours to have them on the quay and they'd better say nice things about your renowned hospitality.
If the Fleet understood the concept of Marines, or Naval Infantry
Despite job titles such as "Captain" and "Admiral" I'm not sure what Starfleet understands or how it's organized. I still have trouble with how the "rebooted" James T (for Testosterone) Kirk was bumped from midshipman, or cadet or whatever they're called, to presumably O-6 in one swell foop. Why I have more trouble with this than transporters, FTL or, hell, take your pick, I don't know.
GVI, Not all Mensans speak Klingon, but they do kick butt in bar trivia games. Many people who qualify for membership in Mensa do not apply for membership.
If I can only talk to myself, I'll never get to have an intelligent conversation.
ReplyDeleteRob J
Did you hear the younger, surviving Brother Kablamazov (to use Tam's term), was arrested without firearms in the boat in Watertown?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/officials-boston-suspect-had-no-firearm-when-barrage-of-bullets-hit-hiding-place/2013/04/24/376fc8a0-ad18-11e2-a8b9-2a63d75b5459_story.html
Mutter, mutter, mutter...
ReplyDeleteUh, let's see....
ReplyDelete.45 auto is heavy. I've been working to fill a 50 cal ammo can with my 230 grain cast lead reloads just thrown in loose.
I have it almost full. There only the space of a MTM flip top cartridge box to fill it to the rim.
I weighed it last night. 57 pounds.
Talking amongst myself is apparently what I do best. Yesterday, I was deeply engrossed in solving a problem on a project. The problem was resisting mightily. Suddenly, my assistant appeared at my office door and broke my trance by announcing she was closing the door because it seems that I was deeply engrossed in a quite contentious conversation with myself about said problem.
ReplyDeleteI did finally discover a quite clever solution, though! ;)
wv some naddies - Gotta have 'em to argue with yourself like I do!
Anonymous at 8:51 -
ReplyDeleteOf course he had no firearms when he was arrested. He learned that, being under 21, he was not allowed to possess handguns; furthermore, he learned that possession of large capacity feeding devices is also illegal in MA so he shed those as well.
What was that last fusellade of small arms, (the news called it a "gun battle") before they arrested him? Firepower demonsration?
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:20,
ReplyDeleteEverybody's standing there, pointing guns at the location of someone they firmly believe has guns and may be wired to explode. Things are tenser than any Hollywood Mexican standoff. Somebody either thinks he sees a threatening move or (worse) cranks off an ND, and everybody hears the shot, thinks "MY GOD THEY'RE SHOOTING!" and opens up.
(Sometimes referred to as "sympathy fire". Primates are troop animals; we imitate the behavior of the monkeys around us. Next time you're at the pistol range, start shooting really fast and listen to the tempo of the people shooting around you.)
And not to put to fine a point on it, but what's the downside of the cops shooting the guy to pieces, whether he's got a gun or not? It's not like they're going to be held accountable for stray rounds, accidental deaths or excessive force.
ReplyDeletejf
So much for the reports that he'd tried to kill himself by shooting himself in the throat then. It's getting to the point that I don't believe anything I hear on TV other than sports scores. Maybe I shouldn't believe those ...
ReplyDeleteI live in Houston and have been watching baseball recently. I can only hope the news media is as unreliable on sports as it is on events like Boston!
ReplyDeleteI see the new Star Trek Movie is coming out on May 17th.
ReplyDeleteAbout that Start Trek Movie, and Star Trek Movies in general. If the Fleet understood the concept of Marines, or Naval Infantry, the Capt of the ship and his officers could stay on the damn ship and let the proffesionals do the dirty work. The movies would be shorter, neater but probably less exciting. I know it is fiction...
ReplyDeleteNope, the Captain is on the away teams so that *he* finds the mostly-sexually-compatible native girl. That's why he brings the doctor along, for the inevitable "alien cooties" he picks up, and Spock is there as a backstop in case the cooties are so bad it drops the humans and they need dragged to a clear spot for beaming back to the ship.
ReplyDeleteWhy do they have to drag to a clearing? It's a beam up, not a LZ for the Hueys.
ReplyDeleteYou want a clear LZ so you don't inadvertently bring back the cooties!!!
ReplyDeleteDid you see this assinine thermostat on PBS's (Propaganda Broadcast System) home-improvement show? It was called the “Nest”, and they’re rolling out a new program:
ReplyDelete----------------- From: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2417997,00.asp
but revolve around Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings programs. Rush Hour Rewards use the connected Nest Thermostat to help stagger energy usage for customers during peak usage times, skewing some earlier and some later
-----------------
Well, it’s voluntary for now. See, they PROMISE it:
----------------
It's important to note that customers who participate will always have the option to manually override either program, should they find themselves too hot or cold.
----------------
And the government has never, ever broken a promise, has it?
Until the utilities “reach across the aisle” and form “partnerships” with governments in which they rent-seek to avoid having to build better infrastructure, more power lines, and more power plants. Then they’ll simply turn off your heat (in the winter) or A/C (in the summer) if you were stupid enough to trust them. You’ll either be shivering or sweating, depending on the caprice and whim of some un-elected bureaucrat.
And then, once it’s been demonstrated how “efficient” things are, those thermostats (those particular ones, if the company is as evil and dot-gov connected as they probably are, but a similar one if they fail to correctly bribe the right officials) will become mandated (probably via building codes), and you’ll no longer have a choice.
- Want to build a house? It’s got to have a government-controlled thermostat.
- Want to sell your house? It’s got to have a government-controlled thermostat.
I wish I could believe that the people of this country would resist this kind of thing, but I’ve got too much bitter experience to believe that they will. Or maybe I just need to loosen the tin-foil hat.
I just keep thinking that Captain Cook tried that away "commanding officer on the away team" thing one too many times in Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteSpock was the best wingman Kirk could ever have asked for.
ReplyDeleteMy high-school sweetheart was more than just a touch nerdy. She was a Mensan, which ought to tell you all you need to know.
When I was away at Basic Training she'd send me steamy love letters written in Klingon. At least, she said they were steamy love letters - I can't make head-nor-tail of Klingon.
The breakup came as something of a relief - shortly after she graduated, she took up with a guy in Cleveland who was saving up his college scholarship money for a sex-change operation.
Can I pick 'em or what?
gvi
Our local paper has a Fudd that works there. One of his recent editorials repeats all of the Brady lies (since he uses them as his source). It's a pretty disgusting read. I can't comment there 'cause I don't do the facebook thing.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.citizen-times.com/article/20130421/NEWS/304210064/
The Federation has Marines. They're just...secret...or something...
ReplyDeleteMaybe a Navy type can tell us...when a carrier (or back in the day, BB) makes port...and there is no Admiral on board...is it normal for the Captain to schmooze with the city fathers??? Might be a "slight" justification for the Captain of a starship going planetside in some situations.
All others...yeah, send in the Marines...or a bevy of Redshirts...
Do they have gift certificates for World of Warcraft Addiction Treatment Centers?
ReplyDelete- A Concerned Friend
P.S.: Just Kidding
Can I pick 'em or what?
ReplyDeleteI'd say you chose your internet name rather well. :-)
But let's get to the question we're all thinking, but only I'm bold enough to ask: Was she hot?
jf
Related to your pics of the B-58 the other day.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/B-58A-Remembrances-ebook/dp/B0091VIALA/ref=pd_ys_ir_kstore_26
"Maybe a Navy type can tell us...when a carrier (or back in the day, BB) makes port...and there is no Admiral on board...is it normal for the Captain to schmooze with the city fathers??? Might be a "slight" justification for the Captain of a starship going planetside in some situations."
ReplyDeleteWrong analogy.
Think detached warships in the 1700's visiting the fuzzie wuzzies to facilitate cultural relations and exchange pleasanteries.
e.g. Oh! Benighted Emir Bugger-all of this Hideous Hellhole, it is my cultural predisposition to sink, and then hang surviving pirates that I catch and then bombard and burn their ports to the ground with little finesse. Also, I have many marines who are grim and nasty and whose culture is one of pillage burn and kill. Do not mess with my nations ships, and err on the side of caution. Oh, by the way, those hostages (ahem, GUESTS), you have 4 hours to have them on the quay and they'd better say nice things about your renowned hospitality.
I'm so glad we could have tea together like this.
ANON @17:20: Those were the days, eh?
ReplyDeleteIf the Fleet understood the concept of Marines, or Naval Infantry
ReplyDeleteDespite job titles such as "Captain" and "Admiral" I'm not sure what Starfleet understands or how it's organized. I still have trouble with how the "rebooted" James T (for Testosterone) Kirk was bumped from midshipman, or cadet or whatever they're called, to presumably O-6 in one swell foop. Why I have more trouble with this than transporters, FTL or, hell, take your pick, I don't know.
Anon 3:49...Let's just say she looked a lot better then than her Facebook photos do now.
ReplyDeletegvi
WV: But SoHoTo
ISYN
GVI,
ReplyDeleteNot all Mensans speak Klingon, but they do kick butt in bar trivia games. Many people who qualify for membership in Mensa do not apply for membership.
http://www.mensa.org/prominent-mensans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mensans